Unified Printer Driver for Dedicated Sheet Settings
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users face difficulties in properly specifying print settings for dedicated sheets, leading to issues like toner peeling, glue melting, and ink bleeding, and the need for installing multiple printer drivers for each sheet type complicates the printing process.
Innovation Solution
An image forming apparatus with an installing unit for sheet setting applications and a providing unit that offers sheet setting information to the printer driver, allowing users to easily select and apply optimized settings for specific sheets without requiring multiple driver installations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a user manually specifies print settings for dedicated sheets, then printing quality can be improved, but the complexity of operation increases and settings may be improper leading to sheet waste
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-configuring optimal print settings for each dedicated sheet type within the printer driver. When a user selects a dedicated sheet type, the corresponding pre-configured settings (such as print resolution, color mode, and paper handling parameters) are automatically applied, eliminating the need for users to manually adjust multiple settings and ensuring proper printing conditions are met.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements self-service by automatically detecting the selected dedicated sheet type and applying the appropriate print settings without user intervention. The printer driver automatically retrieves and applies the correct settings from its internal configuration, reducing operational complexity while maintaining high printing quality.
2Reliability
If multiple dedicated printer drivers are installed for different sheet types, then proper settings can be applied, but the device complexity and installation burden increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by designing a single printer driver that can handle multiple dedicated sheet types. The driver includes an internal configuration that stores settings for various sheet types, allowing it to function as a universal driver that adapts to different sheet requirements without requiring separate driver installations for each sheet type.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution merges multiple dedicated printer drivers into a single unified driver. The unified driver consolidates the functionality of multiple specialized drivers by incorporating all necessary settings and configurations within one application, reducing installation complexity while maintaining settings accuracy through internal configuration management.
3Reliability
If dedicated printer drivers are installed for each sheet type, then printing reliability improves, but the time required for driver installation and configuration increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-configuring all necessary print settings for different dedicated sheet types within the unified driver during its initial installation. This eliminates the need for time-consuming configuration steps after installation, as users can immediately select from pre-configured sheet types and their associated settings without additional setup time.
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming apparatus includes a printer, a controller that installs an application in the image forming apparatus, with the application holding sheet setting information for a predetermined sheet, and a communicator that transmits the sheet setting information held by the installed application to a printer driver installed in an information processing apparatus connected to the image forming apparatus. The communicator receives a print job including the sheet setting information from the information processing apparatus, and the printer prints, based on the sheet setting information included in the received print job, an image on the predetermined sheet.